U of Michigan President Urges Obama To Address Increasing College Costs

Escalating costs are making higher education inaccessible, and it is time to resolve the issue, University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman wrote in an open letter to President Barack Obama.

"College is costly — too costly for some families," Coleman wrote in the letter, which was published on U-M's website on Friday. "To meet the myriad needs of students and society, we absolutely must find ways to provide a college education at a cost that is sustainable.

"President Thomas Jefferson was rightfully adamant that a cornerstone of democracy is education for all 'from the richest to the poorest.'"

Coleman was invited to a private meeting earlier this month with Obama, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and presidents of other universities to address the cost of a college education. But Coleman, chairwoman of the Association of American Universities, was unable to attend due to her schedule, spokeswoman Laura Lessnau said. The letter was a follow up.